Bare Chested Man Involved In Fracas In Ely Had Consumed Cocktail Of Medication and Alcohol

PUBLISHED: 17:44 19 June 2009 | UPDATED: 10:56 04 May 2010

DEPRESSED Rhys Chapman had consumed a cocktail of prescription medication and alcohol before he got involved in a fracas in Ely s Market Street in the early hours of the morning. The event was recorded on CCTV, and on Thursday city magistrates watched foo

DEPRESSED Rhys Chapman had consumed a cocktail of prescription medication and alcohol before he got involved in a fracas in Ely's Market Street in the early hours of the morning.

The event was recorded on CCTV, and on Thursday city magistrates watched footage of people fighting in the road, and saw bare chested Chapman out on the street in the melee.

During the incident Chapman was attacked, and then he "snapped," kicking a man in the head and body.

Chapman, of Main Street, Witchford, admitted committing an offence of affray on June 6.

Twenty-year-old Chapman had been waiting for a taxi at 2am when a fight broke out involving three or four girls and a man, solicitor Nick Davies told Ely magistrates.

Reading a statement from Chapman, he said: "The girls attacked me, and a group of males joined in, knocking me to the ground. I got away, I was shocked and stunned."

Chapman claims he was later attacked by a male, but that incident was not shown on CCTV footage.

"I ran up to him and grabbed him, after a scuffle we both fell to the ground. I got up and kicked him twice, once making contact with his head, and secondly making contact with his body," said Chapman's statement.

Mr Davies said Chapman had his shirt ripped off him after retreating up an alleyway, and he had tried to separate various parties during the fracas.

Chapman takes medication for his depression, and hopes to go to university later this year.

"He deeply regrets his actions. He drank alcohol that night, he should not drink with his medication," added Mr Davies. "He was assaulted a number of times before he assaulted anyone, there as a significant degree of provocation before he snapped."